Improved method of expanding tubes in tube-sheets



l tran PATENT Grindle.l

REUEL BLACKWOOD, OFA PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPPOVED METHODx` OF EXPND'ING TUBES IIN: TUBE-SHEETS.

Spccilication forming part of Betters Patent No. 4 2, I59, dated April' 5, 1864.

To` a-llfwhom' it may' concern: h

Be@ it known that I, REUELv BLAeK-WooD/ot the city ot' Philadelphia,in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and. useful Improvement in the Mode of Expanding: the Ferrules in- Securing Flues in rlubular'Boilers; andI` dohereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description of the construction and operation of the same,.reference bein g had to thev accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to the application of the grooved ferrules, intended for securing the ends of the iues in the tube-sheets of locomotive and other tubular boilers, patented by J.

H. Knickerbocker, June 24,1862; and it consists in the employment of hydraulic pressure lues, as secured therein; D, the grooved ferrule; E, an adjustable hollow conical frustum, and F an adjustable cla'np, represented as abutting both against the ferrule D and the main cylinder-head of the press A. The

.main cylinder of the press A may be made about eight or ten inches long and three inches diameter, (more orless,) and the whole press constructed so as to be easily operated by a hand-lever in the usual manner, but with a head, a?, on the main stem a', and so, also, that after the stem has been pushed out to its full extent it can be retracted by the positive power of the press. The said head a2 is oval or oblong in its transverse position on the stem, and the hole in the conical frustum E is ot' the same form, though a little larger in its transverse direction, so that the said head and stem may be easily passed through the frustum and then turned a quarter round therein to bring the larger diameter of the said head across the oval hole in the frustum, and thus prevent the withdrawal of the stem in a longitudinal direction when the Whole apparatus is in operation. The frustum E is about three inches long, and its larger diameter at least equal to the inner diameter of the tube or ilue C, while its smaller diameter is a little less that while they will tit over the smal-ler end 4 ot' the frustum E in their normal state they will also yield apart sufficiently for the reception of the larger end of the saine as the'said frustum is gradually drawn between them in the operation of expanding the ferrule D, as will hereinafter be described. The ferrule D has a curved groove, d', around in its outer side, and its greatest exterior diameter is such as will just permit it to be easily slipped into the open end of the tube or flue C before the latter is expanded, and the hole through the boiler-sheet B, for receiving the end of the said tube, exceeds the said exterior diameter of the latter by a little less than twice the thickness of the shell of the ferrule at its groove d', so that after the Hue has been secured inthe sheet D, as will be immediately described, the inner surfaces of the said ferrule and ilue will be even or of equal diameters, as seen in Fig. l.

Operation: The flue C having been inserted in its appropriate hole in the sheet B, and the stem a ofthe press A having been pushed out to its full extent, with the clamp F applied thereto, the ferrule D is slipped upon the smaller end of the frustum E, and the latter then slipped over the head a2 of the stem a', entering the stem at the smaller end of the frustum, until the said head has passed entirely through it, when the said frustum is then turned alquarter round thereon, and the stem thus consequently secured against being withdrawn by a longitudinal motion. The parts being thus connected together are lifted up and the fr ustum and ferrule inserted into the tube C until the thicker end of the ferrule thereon is brought ush with the end of the tube G, when the press is operated by means of its appropriate hand-lever, and one end of the clamp F abutting against the end of the ferrule D, While its other end abuts against the main cylinder head of A, until the frustum has been drawn entirely through the said ferrule, and thus the latter, together with the end of the tube C, expanded as desired, or as V represented in Fig. 1.

The grooved ferrule Dproduces the best fastening` known for the purpose of securing the end of the fines of tubular boilers; but the diiculties hitherto attending their expansion in place have prevented their general use, a screw and nut, with an operatinglever neces- ,sarily ve or six feet long, being the only lneans found sufficient for the purpose, and consequently the said ferrules could not, for want of sufficient room in the fire-chamber, be expanded in any of the tubes or tlues which were not opposite to the tire-door opening, to say nothing of the constant liability of the screw-threads to be stripped in the operation. It will be seen that my mode, as herein described, obviates these difficulties entirely, be cause the small hydraulic press can be readily introduced, handled, and operated, as described, entirely within the lire-chamber ot` a locomotive or other tubular boiler, and the pressure required to expand the ferrules afforded by the expenditure of a small amount of hand-power.

The clamp F may be made in the form of a hollow cylinder, divided longitudinally into three or four parts, so as to permit it to expand with the ferrule as the frustum is drawn forward; but it is believed the form first described is the more simple and inexpensive of construction and quite as effective. I therefore do not intend 'to confine myself in the construction of the different parts to the precise forms set forth in the drawings, as it is obvious that variations may be made in the forms of the different parts without deviating from the principle of their mode of operation; but, i

Having fully described my improvement and pointed out its superior utility, what I claim as new therein of my invention, and dcsire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of a hydraulic press, provided with ahead, a2, on its projecting main stem a', in combination with the frustum of a cone, E, and a suitable clamp, F, arranged to operate together, substantially in the manner described, for the purpose specified.

REUEL BLAUKWOOD. Witnesses:

nNJ. MoRIsoN, B. F. SI-IATTUCK. 

